MOSIEND Urges Tinubu To Prioritise Stability, Continuity At NDDC

The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other stakeholders to prioritise institutional stability, continuity, performance and public interest in the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In a statement signed by its President, Dr Kennedy Tonjo West, MOSIEND said the stability of the interventionist agency is directly linked to the development aspirations of millions of people across the Niger Delta.

The group said the leadership team appointed by President Tinubu in 2023 deserves recognition for its efforts to reposition the Commission in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

MOSIEND noted that under the present leadership, the NDDC has placed emphasis on the completion of abandoned and legacy projects, institutional reforms, stakeholder engagement and improved administrative processes. It also cited reforms in governance, procurement and digitalisation.

According to the group, the emphasis on continuity rather than wholesale abandonment of inherited projects represents an important departure from the challenges that have historically affected development interventions in the region.

“The decision to complete projects irrespective of the administration or leadership under which they were initiated is particularly significant for a region that has experienced several instances of abandoned projects and disrupted development programmes,” MOSIEND said. “This is precisely the institutional culture the Niger Delta has long demanded.”

MOSIEND recalled that frequent changes in NDDC leadership had previously raised concerns about policy discontinuity, project abandonment and duplication. It noted that nine Managing Directors served between 2015 and 2023, describing the period as evidence of the disruptive effect leadership instability can have on long-term development planning.

The group cautioned against allowing political disagreements or administrative considerations to unnecessarily translate into institutional disruption.

“The Niger Delta has suffered enough from discontinuity. The region needs an NDDC that is stable enough to complete what it starts, accountable enough to earn public confidence, inclusive enough to listen to its communities and sufficiently empowered to implement long-term development programmes,” the statement said.

MOSIEND commended the Commission’s sustained engagement with state governments, traditional institutions, ethnic nationalities, youths, women, professional groups, development partners and other stakeholders. It said the outcome of the NDDC’s 2025 stakeholder conference, where support was expressed for the existing Board and Management to focus on development delivery, showed that stakeholders were increasingly interested in performance and continuity.

The group, however, stressed that its position should not be interpreted as opposition to accountability or legitimate scrutiny of the Commission. It urged those with concerns about the NDDC’s performance, administration or accountability to pursue them through appropriate institutional and statutory mechanisms.

“Where there are legitimate concerns about performance, accountability or administration, such concerns should be addressed through the appropriate institutional and statutory mechanisms,” MOSIEND said. “Where reforms are necessary, they should be pursued without unnecessarily dismantling a structure that is already delivering measurable programmes and projects.”

MOSIEND urged the Presidency, supervising authorities, political leaders, traditional rulers, ethnic nationality organisations, civil society groups and other stakeholders to place the broader interests of the Niger Delta above personal, sectional or transient considerations. It also called for protection of the Federal Government’s stated emphasis on continuity and the completion of ongoing and legacy projects in the region.

The group warned that renewed uncertainty around the Commission could undermine long-term planning, stakeholder confidence and the implementation of development programmes.

“The Niger Delta does not need another experiment in administrative instability. It needs institutions that can consolidate gains, correct weaknesses, complete projects and build on what is working,” it said.

MOSIEND maintained that its position was not in support of any political party or individual, but was based on the broader development interests of the Niger Delta.

“Wisdom, they say, is profitable to direct. This is therefore a moment for statesmanship: let the interest of the Niger Delta, the development of its people and the credibility of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda remain the overriding considerations,” the group said.

It pledged to continue supporting initiatives that promote transparency, accountability, development, peace, inclusion and institutional effectiveness across the Niger Delta, irrespective of political affiliation.